Avery Samaels Oak-Aged Ale

Bottled, April 2007. Pours a deep amber color with an impressive head considering the abv that quickly settles down to patches and a foamy ring. Aroma is sugary, cherries, oak, malt and some alcohol surfacing. The flavor is very sweet with caramel, plums, cherries, lots of oak with a spicy alcoholic finish. The beer is a bit hot and a little too sweet, even for an English Barleywine. Very warming and definitely a sipper. 12 ounces seemed to last forever and I wouldn’t have wanted any more.

From bottle. Alcohol vapors, fruity esters, plum, raisin, figs, oak, molasses, cherries. Quite a sweet and candied nose on this one. Coppery orange, dark with some haze and no head. Thick body with light carbonation and huge alcohol warming. This could be set down for several years. Huge sweet hit from the start, cloying and ulcer inducing. Alcohol and brown sugar, paper and phenol, molasses and brown sugar. Some oak and bourbon. No bitterness whatsoever, leaving you with a cloying, lingering sweetness long after you swallow. This was way too young to really enjoy - I’m going to have to get another one and put it down for ten years or so.

Taste 7/8 Bottle 4/7. Looks: Caramel color with tons of floating goodies, topped with a cream head. Aroma: Caramel, cream, mild cask, vanilla. Taste: Much like the aroma, caramel, vanilla, oak and cream. Med to heavy body. Alcohol finish.

12. oz bottle from 2005 Batch 1. Been looking forward to this one. Pours amber with head that vanishes quickly. Aroma is sweet and alcohol and maybe some oak. Flavor is sweet, bananna is there, carbonation is gone, alcohol burn on the finish but not bad for 15.53%. Oak isn’t as apparent as desciption states, overpowered by sweetness. Nicely mellowed, as I noticed some peope saying the alcohol is too much, I think it’s drinkable if you get past the sweetness. I’ll be letting this one sit some more and revisit in a couple years.

Bottle. Pours clear copper with a lacy off-white head. Aroma of vanilla, toffee and figs. Full body and moderate carbonation. Dry oak and vanilla finish with enough hops to balance it all. A little alcohol-laden, but a lovely little sipper.

Very unique ale. Lots of typical barely wine flavor (over-ripe bananas, lots of fruit, vanilla, and slightly salty). The strength is overpowering. Alcohol may not be as high as other brews that I have tried, but it is definitely noticable. I really wanted to like this one more, but I think I need to try it again and re-rate.

Thanks to KAggie97 for the beer. The bottle looks really good. The beer in the glass also. Quite dark, not much foam. Sweet and strong beginning, scratchy and dry finish, very warming, malty and spicy notes. Good beer!

the first time i tried this beer it was awesome. the best taste taste ive ever had in a beer. sweet but not too sweet not too much of a head and it poured a redish color. high abv wich i enjoy but you you couldn’t taste it. i tried another 1 a few days ago to relive the experience and was dissapointed! it poured kindA tanish-brown not very sweet, like a different beer all together. Avery is one of my favorite brewers now but i cought them slippin on1 of their beers. its still in my top five favs of all time i just want that first time over and over again. no such luck. had i based this rating on my first expeirence it would get a perfect but they let me down some and at $9.00 a 12 oz it should be great every time.